Monday roars at Masters that sound like Sunday when Woods arrives

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The roar sounded like Sunday at Augusta National.

This was Monday afternoon, and it was so sudden and thunderous that it reached the clubhouse. It was loud enough to startle spectators who wondered what they had missed. They had a pretty good idea who it was. Tiger Woods is back at the Masters. Woods teed off with Justin Thomas and Fred Couples shortly before 3 p.m. when thousands of fans were making their way toward the exit. Thousands more crowded around the tee, lined the first fairway and followed him down the par-5 second hole. Some of them rushed over to the third hole to stake out a spot. Most of them surrounded the second green, and they were responsible for all the noise when Woods chipped in from behind the green. About the only thing missing was a beam of light from the heavens.

Any talk about this being one of the most anticipated Masters in years starts with one player. Woods is at Augusta National for the first time since 2015, at least with his golf clubs, and he showed during the Florida swing of the PGA Tour that he is more than capable of winning a fifth green jacket.

“When Tiger walked onto the range today, you can tell there’s an antici- pation and an excitement from the crowd to watch him compete again,” Justin Rose said.

Woods was at Augusta National last year only for the Champions Dinner, and it wasn’t much fun. If the pain in his lower back wasn’t enough, it was looking out at the course he loves and knowing that he wouldn’t be playing the major he calls a “players’ heaven” for the second straight year, and maybe never.

Fusion surgery — his fourth on his lower back in four years — followed a few weeks later.

And now it looks as though he never left.

Woods still hasn’t won a tournament in the five PGA Tour events he